The present invention relates to the automated filling of bottles with powders or granulated solid substances, and in particular relates to a machine for filling bottles with powdered pharmaceutical substances dosed and prepared inxe2x80x94a sterile environment and a drive mechanism which is part of the machine.
At present the aseptic filling of bottles or vials with powdered pharmaceutical substances is carried out using machines which each basically comprise filling or dosing, weighing and capping operating stations, suitably arranged are n intermittent feed path for the bottles to be filled, which are weighed, filled, weighed again and capped in sequence.
The operating station to which the present invention makes specific reference is the bottle filling or dosing station, which basically comprises at least one powder dosing disk, attached to the bottom of a powder feed hopper. The disk is located above the empty bottle feed path and rotates in one direction about a geometric axis, driven by suitable drive means with intermittent rotary motion and synchronised with the bottle feed movement.
The dosing disk has radial cavities and pistons inside the cavities, which, together with the latter, form spaces for receiving, transferring and unloading powders which, taken from the hopper, are dosed and inserted in the bottles fed below the disk.
The dosing disk pistons move with axial alternating motion inside the cavities, to vary the disk dosing spaces which receive the powders upon activation of suitable dosing space adjustment means, which can be activated from a remote control mechanism.
More specifically, the adjustment mechanisms are controlled by the weighing stations which, at statistical time intervals, weigh the bottles first when empty and then when full, and send the values to a dedicated computer which, if necessary, provides feedback with a command for the adjustment means which simultaneously and automatically corrects all powder dosing spaces.
A machine of the known type described above normally has a system for automatic adjustment of the weight with means for adjusting the dosing disk dosing spaces which comprise an adjustment disk, mounted so that it rotates integrally with the dosing disk, and having a substantially spiral groove in which pads engage. The pads are connected to the dosing disk pistons. A rotation of the grooved disk relative to the dosing disk produces the alternating motion of the pistons and, therefore, adjusts dosing.
The adjustment means control mechanism is currently made using a complex combination of harmonic reduction gears which are directly attached to the dosing disk and are located on the side opposite that from which the rotary motion of the disks originates.
Such a configuration, which has long been used with satisfactory results, causes disadvantages.
In particular, the position of the control mechanism relative to the dosing disk means that, if an operator wants access to the disk to carry out normal cleaning and/or maintenance operations, he or she must first remove the entire control mechanism.
This involves an obvious operating complication, as well as long periods required for the work, and, given the considerable weight of the parts to be removed, even difficult and dangerous handling.
Moreover, in particular, the current control mechanism involves a significant longitudinal dimension relative to the bottle feed path, meaning that the zones immediately downstream and upstream of the bottle filling station are difficult to access for maintenance work.
The aim of the present invention is, therefore, to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages by providing a machine which can allow easier and more rapid access to the bottle filling station, without the need to remove the dose adjustment control mechanism during maintenance and/or cleaning operations.
Another aim of the present invention is to allow a noticeable reduction in the overall dimensions of the filling stations, in the direction longitudinal to the bottle feed path, to minimise the dimensions in particular above the bottle infeed opening.
Accordingly, the present invention fulfils the preset aims by providing a machine for automatically filling bottles with powdered material, in which the bottles to be filled are fed in succession, with an intermittent motion, along a preset path. The machine comprises at least one filling station with at least one powder dosing disk, located above the bottle path, with intermittent rotation in one direction about its geometric axis and having radial cavities and pistons contained in the cavities, which together with the latter form spaces which receive, transfer and unload dosed quantities of powders into the bottles. The pistons move alternately in the cavities to vary the dosing spaces. The machine has dosing disk drive means and dosing space adjustment means connected to the dosing disk and an adjustment means remote control mechanism. The machine is characterised in that the dosing disk drive means and the adjustment means remote control mechanism are located on the same side of the dosing disk.